Joanot Martorell & Ausias March: Pillars of Catalan Literature

Catalan Literary Giants of the 15th Century

Joanot Martorell and Tirant lo Blanc

Joanot Martorell was born in Valencia in 1410 into a prosperous family that fell into disgrace after his father's death in 1435. Joanot was then declared the heir and had to cope with these debts for the rest of his life. He wrote Tirant lo Blanc in Barcelona between 1460 and 1464 and died in 1465. His experience as a knight, soldier, courtier, and diplomat marked the drafting of the novel, which demonstrates a knowledge of human relations and real military life.

The first printed edition of Tirant lo Blanc is dated 1490 in Valencia, 25 years after Martorell's death. It is considered one of the first great modern novels. The work is longer and more complex than Curial e Güelfa, with the action taking place in the fifteenth century. The plot begins with the adventures of William, Count of Warwick. Martorell's novel is the finest expression of chivalric ideals, which he imbued with innovative values such as reason, wisdom, pleasure, and humor. The scenes are fresh and everyday, filled with sensuality and irony.

Ausias March: Poet of Love and Morality

Ausias March was born around 1400. As a gentleman, he participated in the first campaigns of Alfonso the Magnanimous in Corsica. This brought him privileges over family lands in the Duchy of Gandia and a prominent position at court as the king's master falconer. Throughout his life, lawsuits and disputes were frequent. In 1437, he married Isabel Martorell, sister of Joanot Martorell, the author of Tirant lo Blanc. He died in Valencia in 1459.

His poetic work is extensive, comprising 127 poems written in Catalan, though they may contain some occasional Provençalisms. His work is distinguished by cycles of love and moral themes, identified by the senyal (signal) that concludes each composition, such as:

• "Lily among thorns"
• "Full of wisdom"
• "Love, Love"
• "O foolish love"

In his songs of death, the theme of the soul's fate and the love relationship after death appears. The religious theme is present in his Spiritual Canticle, addressed to God. His lyrical 'I' shows a framework of loving science, revealing a personality full of contradictions. The poet addresses those for whom love produces a spiritual suffering.